In this development panel discussing the third party situation on Wii: http://www.develop-online.net/features/712/Develop-Jury-The-Wii-dilemma
professional game developers sound exactly like fanboys on message boards.
This is because many game developers are those fanboys on message boards.
Even back during the 16-bit days, Sega, when at the top of their game, struggled to compete with Nintendo. Sonic was a fantastic game, and it sold many consoles, but it is still a shadow to what Mario was doing.
Nintendo is still at the top of their game with titles like Mario 5, Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, and Mario Kart Wii. None of the current game developers out there even remotely come close to the talent that Sega had during its glory days.
Look at the “console” third party games that do sell well: Call of Duty series, Halo, Grand Theft Auto, etc. All of these “console” third party hit games are not console games at all. They are PC games. Consoles like the Xbox 360 are nothing more than a dumbed down PC gaming computer.
PC games are not going to sell on the Wii. The Wii’s “innovation” is that it is trying not to be like a PC machine. Wii is getting back to the roots of console gaming. The controller is friendly, there is emphasis on local multiplayer, it is family friendly, etc.
Many game developers are stuck in “PC gaming” orientation. They aren’t thinking in “console gaming” terms. Japanese third party companies have been far more successful on the Wii (in the West) I believe for that reason.
They have to learn how to sell to kids and make games kids think are really cool. I cannot think of any third party game company that is doing this. Ubisoft’s Raving Rabbits is the closest I’ve seen. More games like Monkey Ball, less games like Mad World. And appealing to children doesn’t mean “flowery” or “saccharine”, as Monkey Ball was a hell of a hard game.
If we transported the ‘game developer’ decades into the past, would their style of games work on the NES or Atari? “But, a Boy and his Blob sequel is on the Wii!” But, a Boy and his Blob didn’t sell well on the NES. Why a sequel is being done I have no idea.
Even stranger, many game developers look at the old school games and see them only in terms of “zOMG hardcorez” and we end up with games that don’t sell too well like Mega Man 9 or C0ntra 4. Old school games, outside of Defender and Ghost and Goblins, were never ‘hardcore’. Children readily played these games.
What is going to be fun is to watch what these PC game-as-console-game developers do as the “Game Industry” breaks up. Wii is truly pointing to what the future of console gaming will be.
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